Self Defense against an MMA trained aggressor

[Makalakumu]

In the city that I am moving, MMA is very very popular. There are MMA gyms everywhere. This very much increases the chance of having to defend oneself against someone trained in MMA. How would you prepare yourself to defend yourself in this situation? What kind of strategies would you use to defend yourself?

 

[cfr]

What makes you think that MMA folks are out looking to start a fight?

 

[Makalakumu]

What makes you think that MMA folks are out looking to start a fight?

This is not a thread intended to bash MMA in any way. It's not my intent to imply that someone trained in MMA is in any way more likely to aggress in a self defense situation. Think of this thread like you would think of any other style thread in a self defense situation. Anyone can be the bad guy and sometimes the bad guys train in MA.

 

[allenjp]

Carry a hanbo, ehem, I mean a walking stick, a folding knife, a piece of rope, shuriken if they are legal in your area, metsubushi (which could be in the form of pepper spray, or even a high intensity flashlight at night), a taser, or whatever other weapon you feel comfortable with. I don't know where you are, but in California, which has extremely strict self defense laws, you are allowed to use a weapon against an attacker, even if they are unarmed, as long as you don't continue to wale on them after the threat has been removed.

Whoops, should've checked before I spoke...now I see you're in WI. but it doesn't make a difference cause I have no idea what the laws are there...

 

[Tez3]

MMA is what it says it is, mixed martial arts so you would defend yourself against someone who has done MMA the same way you would any other martial artist. They are unlikely to want to take it to the floor if it's on the street etc so you would be fighting stand up.

 

[cfr]

I think the biggest mistake you could make against an MMA person would be to assume they will play by MMA rules. Too often the assumption is "I would just bite him/ strike his neck/ poke his eye/ etc." when discussing a fight with an MMA guy.

But I think you should assume an MMA guy would also do those things as well.

 

[Makalakumu]

What kind of MMA training or competition rules would be easiest to exploit on the street? What would an MMA guy not be prepared for?

Good point about weapons.

 

[cfr]

What kind of MMA training or competition rules would be easiest to exploit on the street? What would an MMA guy not be prepared for?

Good point about weapons.

My point exactly... why are you assuming they would fight you based on rules?

 

[Makalakumu]

MMA is what it says it is, mixed martial arts so you would defend yourself against someone who has done MMA the same way you would any other martial artist. They are unlikely to want to take it to the floor if it's on the street etc so you would be fighting stand up.

You don't think the fight would end up on the ground at all? Or is your point that chances are it would be stand-up?

 

[Makalakumu]

My point exactly... why are you assuming they would fight you based on rules?

Because it happens with other arts. People get in the habit of fighting how they spar and in a SD situation, why wouldn't that be the first thing to come out? Especially given the stress and adrenaline...

 

[allenjp]

What kind of MMA training or competition rules would be easiest to exploit on the street? What would an MMA guy not be prepared for?

Good point about weapons.

When it's SD, you take ANY advantage you can get my friend...

 

[allenjp]

Because it happens with other arts. People get in the habit of fighting how they spar and in a SD situation, why wouldn't that be the first thing to come out? Especially given the stress and adrenaline...

Careful, I think I can distinctly see a can labeled "worms" being slowly opened here...

 

[Makalakumu]

When it's SD, you take ANY advantage you can get my friend...

True dat! But what advantages may be most likely based on the nature of MMA training?

 

[cfr]

Because it happens with other arts. People get in the habit of fighting how they spar and in a SD situation, why wouldn't that be the first thing to come out? Especially given the stress and adrenaline...

Could be I suppose. But shouldn't all SD training have the requirement of not expecting specifics? Im certainly no SD expert (or MMA expert for that matter), but that would be my guess. It seems to me that you would be setting yourself up for a bad surpise that way.

 

[allenjp]

True dat! But what advantages may be most likely based on the nature of MMA training?

It kinda depends...see, you can't assume that someone who trains "MMA" hasn't trained in "TMA" including weapons training of some kind, perhaps extensively. That said, if the particular MMA stylist you are up against happens to only train for the ring, they don't train in weapons use and you would have a distinct advantage there. But if you carry a weapon (preferably several), I would say you increase your chances no matter what the situation.

 

[cfr]

Careful, I think I can distinctly see a can labeled "worms" being slowly opened here...

If you are referring too me, please read my last post. I am certainly not one to come to the defnse of MMA, I simply think to plan SD against rules is foolish.

 

[Makalakumu]

Careful, I think I can distinctly see a can labeled "worms" being slowly opened here...

Yeah, I know that I'm skirting around a flame war and it's not my intent to start one. I'm serious about this. I'm moving to Oahu in less then three weeks and MMA is hyper popular there. I don't go out and try to start fights and I know how to stay out of bad situations, but things happen. A good friend of mine was surfing and caught a wave ahead of another guy who proceeded to get angry, out of control, and violent. My friend got his *** handed to him and it turns out the agressor just so happened to train at a MMA gym. Now, I know he could have trained in any MA, but in this situation, it was MMA. So this is where this line of questioning is coming from. I'm not trying to pick some kind of silly online fight.

 

[cfr]

BTW, how will you know if your attacker trains in MMA?

 

[Makalakumu]

If you are referring too me, please read my last post. I am certainly not one to come to the defnse of MMA, I simply think to plan SD against rules is foolish.

I see your point, but I think there is nothing wrong with at least thinking about what you may be up against...

 

[allenjp]

BTW, how will you know if your attacker trains in MMA?

He won't, he's just saying that there's a higher probability of it being an mma person because of the popularity of mma in that area.